G. Avidad (Biochem. J. 73, 587 [1959]) has reported obtaining 1-O-.alpha.-D-glucopyranosido-D-fructose by the action of yeast on a mixture of sucrose and fructose. The yield, however, was very low (0.77% based on the starting sucrose). B. M. Lund and G. M. Wyatt (J. Gen. Microbiol. 78 [Pt. 2], 331-6 [1973]) were able to prepare 1-O-.alpha.-D-fructose in addition to 6-O-.alpha.-D-glucopyranosido-D-fructose (isomaltulose) by the action of Erwinia carotovora atroseptica on nutrient solutions containing 2-4% of sucrose.
These preparation methods suffer from the disadvantage of very low yields, so that industrial use of the methods has not been possible.
The German Offenlegungsschrift No. 30 38 219 discloses that 1-O-.alpha.-D-glucopyranosido-D-fructose is formed as a byproduct in the preparation of isomaltulose (6-O-.alpha.-D-glucopyranosido-D-fructose) by enzymatic conversion from sucrose using immobilized bacterial cells.